A Life Without
by shelllessturtle
Summary: With a terrible loss in her life, and a continual reminder of it staring her in the face, Elizabeth is befriended by a kind stranger who vows to help set everything right.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so my Muses are being butt-smears. "Difference" is barely coming along, despite the fact that I have the house to myself. This is the first chapter of a modern AU of Pride and Prejudice, and I'm posting it to tide you over until I can get the other bloody story finished. I'll be posting a chapter of one or the other every week. Sorry about this!

* * *

Anyway:

Summary: With a terrible loss in her life, and a continual reminder of it staring her in the face, Elizabeth is befriended by a kind stranger who vows to help set everything right.

A/N: I was going to post this after finishing "Difference," but, for reasons stated above, I've started posting ahead of schedule. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Pride and Prejudice. That honor still rests with Jane Austen.

* * *

Elizabeth leaned against the wall outside Lydia's room. Lydia and Kitty were sitting on Lydia's bed, discussing the fact that a very rich, very good-looking young man had moved into the neighborhood just days ago. Elizabeth herself had seen the man out and about on her many wanderings, so much more frequent in the summer than any other time, and had thought to herself that he seemed to require closer scrutiny than watching him from a distance could provide.

"He's so hot!" Lydia giggled.

"I know!" Kitty agreed.

Elizabeth smiled sadly to herself. At least the younger girls could find reason to be happy around this time of the year.

***

When Mr. William Darcy arrived in the small American village of Longbourn, the first thing he heard mentioned was one Miss Eliza Bennett. Amidst giggles and glances to others, he was informed that Eliza was the black sheep of her family. Wondering what could possibly be so funny about that, Mr. Darcy found his interest in this girl aroused. Through careful questioning, he found out that Eliza was the eldest of four girls, all of whom were summering at their parents' house a mile or two outside the village. Only the youngest, Lydia, was still staying at the house full-time, at the age of seventeen. The two middle girls, Kitty, nineteen, and Mary, twenty, were both at college. Eliza, at twenty-two, had graduated at the end of the previous spring.

She had been pointed out to him a few times on the street. She was a very pretty young woman, with long, straight, golden brown hair, bangs that continuously needed brushing to the side, and deep chocolate brown eyes. She had a pretty smile, though it seemed to him that it would be beautiful if it weren't for the—well, the _something_ that haunted her continuously. The first time he saw her, he felt certain that her comparatively pale skin held no imperfections, only to find the second time he saw her that it was marred by a silver scar that ran from just below her left ear, down her neck, and across the small portion of her shoulder left visible by the jacket she always wore.

That jacket seemed very out of place, as did the jeans she constantly wore. No matter how hot the weather got, she was always decked from head to foot in denim, and her hair was always worn down, falling over her shoulders, past her shoulder blades, and to about the center of her back.

It wasn't until three weeks after she had first been pointed out to him that he met her.

He had been walking along, talking to one of his acquaintances, when they happened upon Eliza. "Eliza!" the young man, his name was Robert, called out.

The girl seemed to ignore them, her nose buried in a book, but after a moment she looked up, her pretty, haunted smile gracing her face when she saw who it was. "Hello, Rob," she said softly.

"How are you?" Robert asked. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I'm sure you've heard of our new neighbor," he said. "This is Will Darcy."

Eliza stood up from the bench she had been sitting on, her book on her seat. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Darcy," she said, holding her hand out.

"The pleasure's all mine," Will said, taking it in his own, "and please call me Will."

Eliza's haunted smile appeared once more. "All right then, Will."

Robert nodded to both of them. "Well, you two have fun getting to know each other. I'm due at work."

"Bye, Rob," Eliza said, and Will nodded.

After he left, Will spoke, "I must admit, Eliza, when I heard about you, I didn't really expect, well, politeness."

A pained looked passed over her face, but was gone in an instant, and she smirked. "I suppose you heard the black sheep stories, then."

"Yes, I had," Will admitted.

"Well, the only reason I'm a black sheep is because the rest of my family is, to put it bluntly, insane. Not that I don't have my moments of insanity, but I like to believe that I'm pretty levelheaded most of the time. It's the rest of my family who have no control." This time, Will could easily perceive the bitterness, not only in her smile, but in her voice as well. "Oh," she said, as if remembering something, "if it's no trouble, could you not call me Eliza?"

"Well, what should I call you, if not your name?" Will asked, though willing to do what she wished.

"You'll be calling me by my name if you do what I ask," the young woman said. "Eliza's just a nickname, and one that I'm not too fond of. My name's Elizabeth."

Will smiled. "Well then, Elizabeth it is!"

The two of them continued talking about nothing in particular, just learning a bit more about each other, their hobbies, talents, favorite music, and the like. It turned out that Elizabeth was a writer, and had just sold the first book of a series she had written to a publisher.

"They're fantasy books," she told him upon his inquiry, "though they have a good bit of romance in them. I'm a sucker for a good love story."

"I wouldn't admit it to most people, but so am I," Will told her. He was almost surprised at the ease with which he was conversing with her, but ever since his sister had seen him being sullen and rude at the first non-family party the two had attended together, merely because Will had no one else to go with, she had set him on a path changing for the better, and he found a bit of his ill-expressed awkward shyness receding.

Will told Elizabeth a bit about his life as the heir to one of the biggest companies in America; the boring meetings, the fancy hotels, the never being in one place for long, and his intense desire to settle down. Elizabeth smiled and told him that she hoped he would be able to have his wishes granted, before checking the time on her cell phone and saying that she really had to be heading home. As he watched her denim-clad form disappearing around a corner, he found himself wishing that he could see her real smile, not the haunted one that had been all she had given the world when he saw her, and he found himself wishing that he could be the one to make her smile like that.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry this is late! I had a friend sleep over last night. Okay, so, still no "Difference," but I'm farther than I was last week! Maybe next week? But I have finals, so maybe not. Anyway, enjoy this while you're waiting.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Pride and Prejudice. That honor still belongs to Jane Austen.

* * *

Elizabeth hurried through the gathering darkness, knowing that she had to eat and get to bed soon so she could get up for her excursion the next day. As she walked up her family's driveway, she noted, along with the three family cars—her mother's van, her father's SUV, and the beat-up piece of junk her sisters used—there was an old red truck sitting in the driveway. She groaned inwardly, before sprinting the rest of the way to the front door. She could take whatever the man dished out, as long as he stayed away from her little sisters.

She opened the door to be met with anger, pain, and being ignored.

It was worth it if she could get what she needed.

***

Will Darcy was surprised to meet with Elizabeth Bennett at a bus stop at five-thirty in the morning, though her own surprise probably matched his.

"Elizabeth!" he said. "Hello!"

"Hello," she said softly, not even trying to smile. He noted that her hair was tied up in a ponytail on the crown of her head.

Will stopped his walk to look carefully at her. "What happened to your face?" he asked.

There was a large, seemingly fist-shaped bruise on her right cheek, with a cut at the center, as if the person who had hit had been wearing a ring.

"Got hit," was all she would say.

"Who hit you?" Will asked, before wondering why it concerned him so much. The young woman shook her head, unwilling to tell him. "Elizabeth, if this is a problem, you should do something about it."

She smiled wanly up at him. "I won't do that," she said.

"Why not?" Will asked, incredulous.

"I have to go through this. And, before you start, no, I don't think I'm worthless, I don't think I deserve this, it makes me as sick as it probably makes you, but I'll do anything for her," Elizabeth told him.

"For who?" Will asked, far too curious for his own good.

"My older sister, Jane," Elizabeth whispered.

Will was puzzled over that. "I was told you were the oldest."

When Elizabeth smiled, it was clear that she was sad and angry with the people who had told him that. "It's surprising how quickly someone who made that big of an impact on everyone's lives can be forgotten." Will was about to question her when she continued. "My sister Jane was probably one of the nicest people in the world. She would always have something good to say to everyone, and would be willing to help anyone, often roping me into helping as well, because I could never say no to her.

"All that changed the summer before my freshman year of high school. You see, Will, eight years ago, to the day actually, I was forced to watch, helpless, as my sister was murdered."

In that moment, Will knew what he had been seeing behind Elizabeth's smile. She was sad, so sad, even eight years after the death of her sister. Fate was cruel to have taken this beautiful girl's happiness from her, to have taken the life from a girl who did not deserve death in the slightest.

Elizabeth was still talking. She seemed unable to stop. "The man, dressed from head to foot in black, including a black ski mask, seemed to be drunk or high or something. The first thing he did was throw Jane to the ground. Before either of us could react, he had a knife out and in his hand, and had lunged at me. The blade cut from just below my ear—" and at this point her right hand touched the silver scar on her neck "—ran down my neck, across my shoulder, and split open my arm. After the first cut, he went back and made two more cuts, branching out from the first, so when they reached my wrist, there were three of them. I don't know why he did this, probably never will.

"After abandoning me, bleeding, on the sidewalk, he turned on Jane, who seemed frozen in place. It was so unceremonious and sudden, but it seemed to take ages at the same time. He stabbed her twice in her vitals before—before just leaving her there and running away.

"I was in so much pain I could barely move, let alone get Jane help. For months afterward, I blamed myself for not being able to help her, but I finally accepted that, even if I hadn't been hurt, I never would have been able to save her, except maybe by being the one who died instead."

At the end of her story, Will realized that, though he was dangerously close to tears, Elizabeth still seemed impassive, as if she had told this tale so many times it no longer hurt, but one look in her eyes showed that she still felt the pain of losing her sister so long ago.

"Jane was only sixteen," Elizabeth whispered, "and no one was ever convicted for it."

"I'm sorry," Will said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Thank you," Elizabeth replied.

After a moment of silence, Will asked, "So why are you here?"

"I'm going to Meryton," she said, "the town where we were attacked. I go every year, just to spend a day by myself, the way Jane and I used to go there on weekends when we had nothing else to do, just to hang around."

The bus pulled up to the stop then. "Bye, Will," Elizabeth said. "Thanks for listening."

Will didn't know what made him do it. Maybe it was that Elizabeth still looked so sad as she was climbing onto the bus, maybe it was that he was still curious about this wonderful Jane, maybe it was because he found himself liking Elizabeth, but whatever it was, he climbed onto the bus behind her, paid the same amount of money she did, and slipped into the seat next to her.

Elizabeth looked surprised, but Will just smiled and said, "I don't want you to do this alone."

After a short while of riding in companionable silence, Will glanced at Elizabeth again. "You never told me why you have to go through someone hitting you."

Elizabeth blushed. "You'd think it's stupid," she muttered.

"Can I make that decision for myself?" he asked with a small amount of humor.

Elizabeth's blush deepened. "The guy I'm dating, I think he's the one who attacked me and Jane." Will's jaw dropped, and he was about to say something when Elizabeth continued. "Like I said, no one's been convicted, but his height and build are the same as the guy who attacked us, and I just have a feeling that it's him. He started going after Lydia two summers ago when I was back from college, and I knew almost immediately, so I pretty much intercepted him. I won't let him at my little sisters."

Will felt his heart warmed by Elizabeth's love for her sisters, the fact that she would do anything to protect them. Instinctively, he reached down and squeezed her hand softly. She smiled slightly at him, and he realized that, if he wasn't careful, he could fall in love with this girl. He thought that maybe he didn't want to be careful.

As they stopped, Elizabeth glanced up. "Our stop's next," she said.

Less than a minute later, the two left the bus, their fingers twined together.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, so, still no "Difference," finals and whatnot, you know. Still, there's this. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Pride and Prejudice. That honor still belongs to Jane Austen. And I don't own any Anberlin songs. I just have a couple CDs.

* * *

Elizabeth looked at the man beside her, holding her hand like it was something precious. He was looking at her hair. Probably at the blonde streak in it.

"You've got a streak in your hair." Exactly as she thought.

"Yeah."

"Why just the one? And why do you hide it?"

"Nobody knows about it."

"Why not?"

"I never told anyone."

"Is there something special about it that you want to keep secret? You don't have to tell me what it is."

"It was Jane's hair color."

"Oh."

_Yeah. Oh._ Elizabeth sighed inwardly. He was just being nice, or maybe he was actually interested in her, and wanted to find out more about her. It wasn't like anyone _else_ knew anything really important. But did he really have to be so nosy? Couldn't he see that this was just hurting her? And why hadn't she snapped at him like she normally did?

_I think you like him, Lizzy,_ Jane's voice sounded in her head.

_I confess I like him very much,_ she told it.

***

Will Darcy glanced down at his left hand, entwined with Elizabeth's right. She seemed almost to be clinging to him. He wondered if she had ever let anyone come with her before. His eyes moved up her arm, her good one, across her neck, which he got a sudden urge to kiss, and back to the bleached streak in her hair. He thought it was sweet that she tried to keep a part of her sister with her.

Elizabeth was leading Will through the town. They had gotten off the bus at six o'clock, and had wandered around until seven-forty-five when Elizabeth turned to Will. "We're almost to where it happened," she told him.

Will squeezed her hand gently, giving her support he didn't know she needed.

A couple minutes later, Elizabeth stopped at a seemingly-ordinary place. The grass on one side of the sidewalk stretched from the concrete, between the houses on either side, past the second set of houses, and to the sidewalk on the other side. There weren't any trees nearby, an unfortunate fact, as it was already getting hot.

Elizabeth was looking at a stain on the sidewalk.

"Is that it?" Will asked softly.

"Yeah," Elizabeth said quietly.

They stood in silence, looking at the blood soaked in to the ground, still there after eight years, their hands clasped together.

"I haven't cried in so long," Elizabeth said softly.

Will was about to ask her why she had said that, but, upon glancing at her face, saw tears running freely down her cheeks. Without knowing why, he gathered her into his arms, holding her close. His hands gently stroked her back as her small frame shook with sobs. He gently pressed his lips to the top of her head, inhaling a strawberry scent that had to be her shampoo.

Elizabeth clung to Will as she let loose the tears of eight years. When she finally pulled back ten minutes later, Will's shirt was soaked. "I'm sorry, Will,"

"It's all right, sweetheart," he replied. "Everyone could use a good cry every now and then."

"Thank you for coming with me," she said.

"You've been coming alone for seven years. It's about time someone helped you," Will replied. He looked at his watch. "It's eight o'clock. Do you want to get something to eat? Maybe do something after?"

Elizabeth glanced up at him. "Are you asking me on a date?"

Will blushed slightly, but grinned. "Yah, I guess I am."

"Even though you know I have a boyfriend?"

Will's face darkened. "He has absolutely no right to you. He killed your sister, he hurt you, and he hasn't been punished for either thing." He looked at the young woman still partially in his arms, his face set. "I'm going to help you prove what he did. He's not going to get away with it."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said softly.

"So, do you want to do something today?" Will asked in a lighter tone.

Elizabeth bit her lip. "They've got a fair going on this week," she said. "We could go there, hang out, just fool around all day."

Will smiled. "As long as you let me treat."

Elizabeth blushed. "All right."

Will glowed. He scooped up Elizabeth's hand that he had relinquished to hug her, and pulled her back towards the business area of the town. When they reached the main street, they were greeted by banners advertising the Meryton Summer Fair, running from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week.

We've got an hour and a half to kill," Will said, checking his watch again. "Breakfast?"

"Sure," Elizabeth replied, and after a quick discussion, the two headed into the Ihop just across the street from them.

Just under two hours later, the two stepped out of the restaurant into the insanity of the fair. Elizabeth looked around in wonder. "I haven't been to this thing since the last time Jane and I went."

Will smiled at her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the mêlée. He purchased them tickets into the fair, and the two spent the rest of the day taking turns picking out what to do.

An hour before the fair closed for the night, the pair found themselves standing with a bunch of other people around a circular table with a spinner set in it. "Ready?" called the manager of the game. Without waiting for a response, her spun the spinner. The group watched as it spun, coming to a stop, finally, pointing at Will.

"The lucky man!" the manager exclaimed. "Now let's see what he has to do!" He spun another wheel, this one standing upright. After a short pause, the wheel stopped spinning. "Random song. Do the first thing you think of," the manager read. "Let's see, random song." He turned to the stereo behind him. "Best way to get a random song; put your iPod on shuffle." He fiddled with said iPod and a moment later "Inevitable" by Anberlin played over the speakers.

Will listened carefully to the lyrics, but nothing occurred to him until the first verse was over.

_I wanna break every clock.  
__The hands of time can never move again.  
__We could stay in this moment__  
For the rest of our lives.__  
Is it over now,  
__Hey, hey is it over now?__  
I wanna be your last first kiss  
__That you'll ever have.  
I wanna be your last first kiss._

When he heard the refrain, Will knew instantly knew what he wanted to do. He turned to Elizabeth, pulled her into his arms, and pressed his lips to hers. After a couple seconds of surprise, she melted into him and kissed him back.

They broke apart less than a minute later to cheers and applause. "Well, I don't think that's happened before!" the manager said, grinning.

Elizabeth, blushing, grabbed Will's hand and pulled him away from the crowd. She stopped in a small alleyway between two stalls.

"Elizabeth," Will started, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

Her lips pressed suddenly to his, effectively cutting him off. She pressed her body against his, her hands winding around his neck.

Will gently pressed Elizabeth back up against the wooden side off the stall. His tongue flicked out, tracing her lower lip. She opened her mouth to his gentle pressure, and his tongue swept in. He felt her shudder against him as his tongue brushed the roof of her mouth,

Minutes later, the two broke apart, panting heavily. Elizabeth was leaning on Will, seemingly unable to stand on her own. He kept his arms wrapped around her waist, his face buried in her strawberry-scented hair.

"Will," Elizabeth said quietly from his arms.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Will murmured.

"We need to take care of George. Fast," she whispered.

Will's mind clicked swiftly, figuring that George was Elizabeth's boyfriend, "Any specific reason?" Will asked, thinking that he might know.

Elizabeth looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, but a smile still absent from her face. "Besides wanting my sister's murder behind bars?"

"Yes," Will breathed, "besides that."

"I think I've found a suitable replacement for him, and want to make the change as soon as possible."

"Do I know this replacement?" Will responded playfully.

"I should hope so," Elizabeth informed him. "You are, I believe, rather intimately connected."

Will grinned, no longer pretending not to know who she was talking about, and kissed her gently.

"We need to go, or we'll miss our bus," Elizabeth said finally.

Wordlessly, Will picked up her hand and led her out of the fairgrounds, back to the bus stop, and on to the just-arriving bus. They sat down in the same relative seat as they had sat in on the way to Meryton.

Half an hour and a quick text to her parents later, Will was walking Elizabeth home, still holding her hand. Her parents' home was about a mile from the bus stop, and they walked it in a companionable silence.

As they approached the house and the driveway came into view, Elizabeth swore under her breath.

"What?" Will asked.

"That's George's truck," she told him.

"Is that a bad thing?" Will asked.

"My phone's been off all day; it normally is when I do this, and he knows it. But I had about five texts and six missed calls that I didn't check. Dammit, he's gonna kill me!" Elizabeth let go of Will's hand and ran for the door.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Dear god, is it this late already? I only got up three hours ago.... Anyway, hope you all had a happy Christmas. Sorry this chapter is so short. But the last one was really long, yeah? Heh.

Warning: Tissues needed. I cried writing this.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Pride and Prejudice. That honor still belongs to Jane Austen, though. I did just get a copy of the book, though!

* * *

Elizabeth was terrified. George was at her house, had been for God knows how long, and Will was walking her home. She hadn't meant to leave him behind, but, though she would do anything for Jane, she didn't want to get hit more than necessary. She was suddenly aware of Will behind her as she ran, then he was beside her, and they made the door at the same time.

His hand dropped to hers. "I won't let you go through this alone," he whispered, and Elizabeth felt her heart warm in a way it hadn't since Jane had died. She opened the door, no longer afraid.

"Where the hell have you been?" George demanded the second she walked in the door.

"Meryton," Elizabeth said simply.

"Why haven't you picked up the phone?" was his next question.

"You know I never answer the phone on this day," Elizabeth replied, struggling to keep her calm.

George's face softened suddenly. "I'm sorry. I forgot, Lizzy."

Elizabeth flinched. No one had ever called her that but Jane. And then George, once they started dating.

George reached out for her, and said softly, "I am sorry. You know I love you, Lizzy."

Elizabeth felt her eyes brim with tears, and she backed away from him until she hit Will, her mind going unwillingly back to the last time she had heard George's last four words on this day of the year

***

_It is so dark out. And cold, too, which is weird, because it's July. Her shirt is ripped open, almost falling off, and her arm is throbbing. Something warm and wet slides along it, and she hears dripping._

_Suddenly, her eyes alight on the prone form of her sister. "Jane!" she croaks, wondering why her voice sounds so bad; she hadn't been hurt there._

"_Lizzy," Jane whimpers. "It hurts."_

_She is on her knees instantly beside her sister. "Oh, Janey, I'm sorry! This shouldn't have happened! We should have gone home when you said so. This is all my fault!"_

"_No, Lizzy," Jane whispers. "No, it's not. It's his, whoever he is."_

_She wants to move her sister, but knows that would just make it worse. But then she thinks that it can't get any worse than it is. "Jane," she whispers, placing her sister's head in her lap._

"_Lizzy, look at me," Jane demands. Chocolate eyes meet ice ones. "I love you, Lizzy," Jane manages._

"_I love you, too, Janey," Lizzy says back, and cradles her sister's head._

_The only thing that stops her giving up when her sister stops moving is the fact that the last thing Jane heard was that she was loved. _I love you, too, Janey,_ and she vows to always say it when she wants to die._

***

Will didn't know what it was, but something had happened to Elizabeth. She had very suddenly backed away from George and into him, shaking her head, as if in disbelief.

"Lizzy?" George said softly.

Elizabeth flinched visibly again, and she pressed herself into Will. Instinctive in the urge to protect, he wrapped his arms around her middle and held her close. "Stop calling her that," he told George, his voice low and dark.

George finally seemed to notice him. "Darcy!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing with my girlfriend?"

"We met yesterday and became friends," Will said coldly.

"You better stay away from her," George Wickham—for that's who he was—told him. "You won't take _her_ away from me, too."

Elizabeth pulled out of Will's embrace gently. Will let his arms fall to his sides and stepped back. He turned on his heel and headed out the door. As he closed the door behind himself, he glanced back at Wickham.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you." And with that, he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, darlings! Sorry it's been so long, but I've been away from my computer in more ways than one in the past few weeks. Not to worry, though! To make up for it, I'm giving you _two_ chapters of "Without", plus one of "Difference"!

Disclaimer: Let's keep it short tonight. I disclaim!

* * *

"Where'd you meet him?"

"In town yesterday. Rob Lucas introduced us. You know, Charlotte's little brother."

"Yeah, I know who he is."

"What did you mean that he won't take me away from you, too?"

George looked searchingly at Elizabeth. "You know I never went to college, right?" he asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Answer the question."

"Yeah, I know that."

"_That_—" he indicated the door through which Will had just gone, "—is the reason why."

"What?" Elizabeth said, disbelieving.

"When I was younger, I had to be put in foster care; my parents couldn't take care of me. After being shuffled around a bit, I got put with the Darcys, and we grew close to each other. Darcy's father, Benjamin, died shortly before Darcy and I graduated high school. Benjamin had promised to fund my college, but Darcy refused to do it, just before our first semester started."

Elizabeth stared at him. "He wouldn't do something like that," she said.

"You've known him for two days!"

"During which he's been nothing but nice, if a bit shy!"

She didn't see the fist until just before it hit her.

***

"Will."

Will pulled back from Elizabeth's face, where he had been tending to the cut a bit off center of her forehead. "What is it, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Last night, after you left, George told me a few things…" She trailed off, unable to finish.

"I'm guessing none of it was very flattering," Will said, smiling humorlessly.

"He said you kept him out of college."

Will looked thoughtful. "Well, that's not entirely untrue, but I doubt he told you the whole story."

"Can I hear your side?" she asked quietly.

Will's face darkened. "I don't—"

"You don't have to talk about it if you're uncomfortable," Elizabeth said.

When given the out, Will found that he didn't really want to take it. "It's fine." He was silent for a moment, then said, "George and I where both nine when he started living with us. He was good-natured and charming, and my parents fell in love with him almost immediately. He would help out with my little sister, Georgie, and help around the house without complaint.

"Now, don't get me wrong, I was a good kid, too." He grinned at Elizabeth for a moment. "I would help with little or no complaining, too. It just seemed to my parents that he did it more. And he did. He spent all of his time playing with Georgie or doing random, meaningless chores. That, and playing with other kids in the neighborhood. Because of that, he wouldn't do his schoolwork, and only passed his classes because he would always get good grades on what he _did_ turn in.

"When my parents died, ten years ago now, I was eighteen, just old enough to be the closest person able to take care of Georgie. So it was just the three of us left. The summer after our graduation is the whole point of this story.

"One night, I was out late at a graduation party for a close friend. George was supposed to be there, too, and Georgie was supposed to be at home. I didn't get home until midnight, and that's when I found out what a huge mistake I had made. George had tried to—to force himself on my sister. She had managed to get away, and was locked in the bathroom, where there were no windows.

"I almost killed George. I gave him ten minutes to pack what he could and get out of the house. I had to stop myself going after him, too."

Will sighed. He felt very tired. "Georgie convinced me not to take him to trial for attempted rape, assault and battery. Now, I really wish I had." He knew exactly what it would have meant for Elizabeth. If Wickham had been put behind bars, her sister, Jane, be would still be alive, and Elizabeth wouldn't be getting beaten up.

"I put some people onto the case," he said suddenly.

"People?" Elizabeth questioned.

"A couple of the private investigators for my company," Will explained. "We need to get this wrapped up as fast as possible. I don't want that man around when my sister comes next spring."

Elizabeth's small hand crept into his larger one, and squeezed gently. "It was a while ago. Georgie's okay now."

"But are you?" Elizabeth asked softly.

Surprised, Will looked up into Elizabeth's eyes. She looked concerned about him, her chocolate eyes wide and worried. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Yeah, I'm fine, too."

"Am I going to be able to meet Georgie when she comes?" Elizabeth asks.

Will smiled. "I'd like that. I really think she'll like you. But like I said, I don't want her to be around Wickham."

"Well then, we'd better get this done! I want to meet her," Elizabeth said, then checked her watch. "It's getting kind of late; I should get home. I'd planned to get some writing done."

Will stood up, then offered his hand to Elizabeth. She took it, and he pulled her upright. Neither of them noticed the piece of paper that fluttered to the ground as they walked to the door. Will escorted Elizabeth to his car, and drove her home. He kissed her good-by before she left.

When he got back home, he saw a folded up piece of paper on the couch Elizabeth had been sitting on. He unfolded it and read the poem inside. It was written in a feminine handwriting, probably Elizabeth's.

_I see your blood-stained hand_

_As it reaches for mine._

_I shudder at your touch,_

_You say it feels divine._

_The bruising and the beatings_

_Are too much to bear,_

_But I must prove your guilt,_

_Make it absolutely clear._

_Your fingers trace my neck_

_And the scar that you gave me,_

_Then I run to the arms_

_Of the one who came to save me._


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is a little action-heavy, and will probably get a few of you.......okay, most of you ticked at Wickham, if not down-right murderous. I almost strangled the man myself.

Disclaimer: Again, short and sweet: I disclaim!

Elizabeth opened the book she was reading to the front cover. She gasped in shock; the piece of paper she had put there was missing. What had happened to it? Had it fallen outside? At Will's house? In his car? Where? Then something else occurred to her. What if he found it? Would he read it? What would he think?

She knew she could just be nonchalant about it, pretend that it wasn't really anything, but she also knew that Will would be concerned no matter what. She knew she should long to see Will, that he was, as written, the one who came to save, but now she couldn't help dreading it.

***

Will was frustrated. It had been weeks since Elizabeth had dropped her poem in his house, and he hadn't seen her in all that time. He wondered, not for the first time, if she was avoiding him because she didn't want to talk about the poem. She didn't need to; he had resolved not to bring it up, to only say anything if she started the conversation, but he knew that she didn't know that.

It was true that he himself hadn't been all that available in the time. He had been finishing moving in, working out how to work best from the office closest to his new home, but he had at least made attempts to see her. She, however, always seemed to have some excuse: her job, helping her father, and going out with George numbered among them.

Will massaged his temples, then stood up, moving towards the door in response to the doorbell. He swung it open to reveal Elizabeth Bennet, her lip split, a fresh cut on her cheek, her blouse torn, and rapidly-purpling bruises dotting her face and arms. He noted all this in less than three seconds, because that was all the time it took for her to throw herself into his arms.

"Elizabeth!" he gasped, his arms wrapping around her seemingly of their own accord as her body began to shake with silent sobs. She seemed to be in shock, and probably wouldn't be moving under her own power in the near future. Will did the only natural, and kind, thing. He swept Elizabeth up into his arms, toed the door shut, and carried her over to the nearest couch. He called to one of his maids to bring Elizabeth something to drink. By the time the woman had come and gone, Elizabeth had enough control over herself to tell Darcy what had happened.

With little surprise, Darcy learned that it had been George who had done this. The other man had arranged to meet Elizabeth outside a bar a bit earlier. When Elizabeth had arrived, not five minutes late, it had been obvious that George had been drinking, and heavily. He had accused Elizabeth of being with Will, and her protestations that she hadn't seen him in weeks had only made George angrier. He had dragged her into the small alley beside the bar and proceeded to beat the living crap out of her. It had only been upon given the chance to apply the single judo throw that she knew that Elizabeth had gotten away. She had then run from the bar to Will's house, conveniently much closer than her own home.

Upon finishing the story, Elizabeth sagged against Will. His arms wrapped around her again, and he kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Wasn't your fault," Elizabeth replied.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you," Will told her.

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't need a body guard," she assured him. "I've gotten through it fine before now."

"And yet you still came here," Will pointed out, not unkindly.

"Yeah," Elizabeth agreed. "Maybe I don't want to do it by myself anymore."

"You don't have to," Will told her. "I'm here, and I always will be, I promise."

"You mean it?" Elizabeth asked. She turned to face Will, probably with the intention of looking him directly in the eye.

"I just promised, didn't I?" Will asked, and, without waiting for an answer, pressed his lips to hers.

He heard her whimper slightly, and belatedly remembered her torn lip. She wouldn't, however, let him pull away, so he got a better grip on her and pulled her against his chest, his lips moving softly against hers.

"Mr. Darcy?" The maid's voice broke the two apart, though Elizabeth remained within the circle of Will's arms.

"Yes?" Will responded.

"Telephone, sir. I wouldn't have interrupted, but it's one of those detectives you hired," the maid said.

A hopeful look graced Elizabeth's face, and Will smiled. "Thank you, Susan," he said as the maid handed him the phone. Elizabeth removed herself from his arms as he began speaking into the phone. The short conversation was heartening, and Will had every expectation of seeing Elizabeth smile when he told her.

"My hired men," Will began, only to be interrupted.

"You make them sound like headhunters," Elizabeth commented with a small smile.

Will laughed. "Maybe they are. Anyway, I hired three detectives to find out all they could on your case, and they just reported that they found solid evidence, quite a bit of it, too, that our man is one George Wickham. They have an official report ready to hand over to the police, and I had them add charges of domestic violence to the list as well."

Elizabeth smiled softly. "Well, we'll definitely be able to get him for that." Then she looked worried. "You'll be there with me, right Will?"

"Every step of the way, sweetheart. I told you, I'll always be there for you."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Okay. So. I think we're closing in on the end here. This is _technically_ a double chapter, but only because, had I made it only a single, it would have been too short and someone might had killed me. Someone _still_ might kill me. But, whatever. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I disclaim!

* * *

The cold wind stung at Elizabeth's face. Even with Will's arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close, she was still freezing. She was a bit angry with the American court system at the moment; it had taken months for them to pick up the case. Still, now that it had been picked up, it was moving along quickly.

The two stood at the same bus stop they had met at back in the summer. "Are you sure you don't want to take a car?" Will asked directly into her ear.

"Yeah," Elizabeth replied. "I don't know why, but I want to take the bus today. Maybe it'll give us a bit of luck. Just like last time."

"You call that luck?"

She looked up at him. He was smiling down at her, looking at her as if she was his whole world. "Yeah, I do."

***

Will smiled at his girlfriend. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder as they waited for their court to be called into session. Her arm was draped across both their bodies, holding onto him even in her unconscious state.

He shook her gently as they were called into their courtroom. "Come on, sweetheart. Time to go in."

The young woman blinked sleepily. "All right," she yawned.

Handfast, the two walked in. They listened, they watched, and they waited.

***

Elizabeth could barely contain her joy. She managed to wait until she and Will were out of the courtroom before planting a very firm and through kiss on his lips.

"Happy, then?"

"You better believe it." But then she sobered. "Eight long years. Why did it have to take so long?"

"I don't know, darling, but it did happen."

She looked up at him. "You know, you haven't called me by my name in a couple weeks. It's been 'sweetheart,' 'darling,' 'love,' and things like that. Why?"

"Because I can." Will shrugged. "You're officially mine now, and I can claim you in public, so I've decided to make use of that."

Elizabeth laughed. "You're crazy."

"But I'm yours."

They visited Jane's grave on the way home. Will stayed a bit back to give Elizabeth privacy, something that she appreciated. "I found out who he is, Janey," she said softly, kneeling next to the headstone. "I'm sorry that I let myself get hurt. I know you wouldn't have wanted it, but I—when I saw him, I just knew, and I had to prove it. I hope you understand.

"But I'm happy now, Janey. Will's the best thing that's happened to me since you died. I wouldn't be surprised if you sent him for me, just when it was getting hard. Thank you, and rest in peace."

Elizabeth read the headstone one last time before standing. "Jane Amelia Bennet, 1985-2001. Beloved sister, daughter, and friend. The best thing to happen to any town," and, down near the bottom, in the loopy script that Elizabeth had used back in high school, "I love you, Janey."

***

"So what was this trial about?"

Will almost choked on the stew he was eating. Of all the topics that he had ever heard discussed at the Bennet dinner table, and there had been a different one for every night he had been there, Wickham's trial had somehow failed to come up. It would appear, by the way her father was looking at her, that Elizabeth had failed to tell her family about it.

His girlfriend was the picture of put-on innocence. "Trial?" she inquired.

"You know," her younger sister Kitty was only too happy to supply, "the one with your ex. He just got sentenced to jail for life."

"Charges were," Mary chimed in, "murder, attempted murder, and domestic violence."

"Were they?" Elizabeth asked, still acting for too innocent.

Her father, Mark, glared at her. "It also appears that you were one of the prime witnesses."

"Does it?" Even Will thought that she was taking this too far now, but this was her family, not his. For now, anyway.

"You never said _anything_ about him hurting you!" her father almost roared. "Nothing about knowing that he was the one who killed Jane, who tried to kill you!"

"Well, I must say," Elizabeth, somehow managing to seem calm, almost disinterested, "that the beatings were quite obvious to anyone looking."

Her younger sisters were watching the debate with a rapt interest. Her mother, Fanny, was paying her salad an amount of attention it didn't deserve. Mark was slowly turning red.

"You should have told us," he said slowly, trying to keep his temper.

"You should have been looking," Elizabeth shot back, still calm.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Mark finally exploded.

"Elizabeth, you really should have told us what he did to Jane," Fanny said, forgetting her salad.

"Like you would have believed me," Elizabeth said darkly. "And even if you had, you would never have let me keep seeing him."

"Would you have wanted to?" Mark demanded.

"I would have wanted to find out if I was right or not, and I wouldn't have given up, not matter what," Elizabeth replied defiantly.

"You _lied_ to us," Mark accused.

"I simply left a few things out."

"A lie of omission is still a lie, and I won't stand for it!"

"Fine, then. You won't have to anymore."

"Because he's behind bars?" Mark scoffed. "Who's to say you won't start 'leaving things out' about Will next?"

"No, not just because he's behind bars. Because I'm leaving."

"Where the hell do you have to go?" Fanny demanded.

Will had finally had enough of this. "She can live with me."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Okay, I'm sorry about last week. I went on a retreat over the weekend and totally forgot about uploading, else I would have done it early Saturday morning. After staying up really late Friday night to finish the chapter. Because, yeah, I just finished it. Anyway, I hope you like.

Disclaimer: I disclaim!

* * *

Elizabeth glanced around at the bags littering her room. She had pulled every single one that she owned and began packing things into them. Most of her shoes were in bins in the closet, so they didn't need packing. Clothes, books, keepsakes, blankets, and the few stuffed animals she had left over from her childhood had been stripped from the room. The only things that remained were the pieces of empty furniture. The room looked a little forlorn, but she was glad to be out of it.

"That it?"

She turned to Will. "Yup, that's everything."

Will picked up a few of the bags full of books and moved towards the door. Elizabeth followed suit.

***

The room she picked was very close to Will's. It was, in fact, the one right next to his. He smiled to himself as they unpacked her bags.

"I think," she said wryly, surveying the finished room, "that I'm going to need a few more bookcases."

"And the understatement of the year award goes to…" Will replied. Elizabeth laughed. There were still three bags, large bags, full of books to be unpacked, and the bookshelves in the room were completely stuffed. "Anything you want can be added," he told her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Elizabeth looked up at him, her eyes and smile full of love and trust. He couldn't stop himself. He bent down and kissed her tenderly. She gave herself totally into his embrace and returned it with just as much fervor.

When they broke apart, Elizabeth rested her head on Will's shoulder. "An armchair," she said eventually.

"What?" he asked.

"Besides the bookshelves, that's the only thing I need. An armchair, like the one I had in my old room."

He remembered it. It had sat next to one of her bookshelves, with a lamp next to it. He recalled being sent up to her room by her mother often enough to find her reading in it. The time he had found her wearing glasses while sitting there, he hadn't said anything, simply pulled her out of the chair and kissed her relentlessly.

"Okay," he told her, "but only if you promise to wear your glasses when you're reading in it."

Elizabeth blushed. "I only wore them that day because my contacts were bothering me."

"Maybe you should let them bother you more often," Will told her. "I think they're sexy."

Elizabeth's blush deepened. Will grinned.

He glanced around the room. Though she had just moved in, it already showed his girlfriend's personality. The bookshelves contained everything from romance novels to battle manga; her laptop sat on a desk; the walls were covered in sticky notes containing carefully penciled drawings, quotes, and notes for books; her dresser-top was a mass of organized chaos in the form of statues, a couple small jewelry boxes, each containing a different type of jewelry, and a collection of old movie-ticket stubs; the bed in the corner was queen-sized, standing a foot and a half off the ground, much different than her old twin-sized mattress lying on the floor.

Elizabeth sighed softly and leaned against him. "It's perfect, Will," she said.

"Fits its owner, then," Will told her.

"Delude yourself all you will," Elizabeth shot back, "but I never have been and never will be. _You're_ the perfect one."

"I believe," Will replied, "that, as always, we will have to agree to disagree on this matter."

Elizabeth giggled. "How many times has it been now?"

"If I haven't won yet, not enough," he said, grinning and kissing her on the nose.

"Thank you, Will," she said after a moment.

"For what, darling?" he asked.

"For everything. For saving me from George, for pulling me out of one of the darkest parts of my life, for getting me out of that terrible place." She paused. "God, I sound like a bad romance novel."

Will hugged her gently. "It's all right. I know what you mean. And you're welcome."

They stood there, looking around the room a minute or two longer, before Will said, "Ready to start our life together?"

"I thought we started that when we met each other," Elizabeth said.

Will grinned, and they walked, hand-in-hand, out of the room.

* * *

A/N2: No, this isn't the end. There'll probably be one more chapter. Lizzy still has to meet Georgie! You didn't think I'd forgotten that, did you?


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Guess who's alive! Wow, can you say "Massive writer's block"? It was absolutely ridiculous. Nothing, I repeat _**NOTHING**_ would come out. For WEEKS. But now it's done. Over with. Finished. Don't ask for more, because this is all you're getting. Still have to finish "Difference," and god only knows how many original stories I have in progress. *goes to count*

Okay. There's only three. Shut up. We all know I'm a stupid genius, and I'm even worse on very little sleep and caffeine. Anyway, we've reached the end, so I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who's been along for the entire ride, everyone who jumped on at any point during the story, and every single person who has reviewed. It's really helped. Thank you, and enjoy this final installment

* * *

Elizabeth tossed and turned that night. She fell asleep well enough, but it was once she had that the problems started. The nightmares that had plagued her for weeks returned and set her crying out into the night. She was being held and shook, and she couldn't get away.

"Elizabeth!"

The voice was different though. It wasn't _his_.

"Elizabeth, wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and she was confronted not with the face of her attacker, but of her savior. "Will."

The arms surrounding her now were gentle and caring. "It's all right, love, it was just a dream. I'm here now."

"Don't leave."

"I'm here for as long as you want me."

The arms she fell asleep in that night, and every night after, warded off every future nightmare.

***

Will stood in the airport, his hand twined in Elizabeth's. Georgie's plane was just about to land, and the two were waiting for her.

They watched the plane come in, waiting for the younger girl to get off. Will glanced at his girlfriend; it was the first time he'd seen her without long sleeves aside from when she was in her pajamas. The silver scars on her left arm were hidden currently, tucked into his body, wrapped around his arm. In the heat, he had not only convinced her to leave behind her denim jacket, but also to put on a pair of jeans she had cut off at the knees. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, the blonde streak in it visible. The only thing about her appearance that hadn't changed was the Converse high-tops she wore, just like every other day; today's were green.

"There!" Will said, pointing to girl a few years younger than Elizabeth. "That's Georgie." He called her name, and she turned, smiling broadly. She had his dark brown hair and happy green eyes, and was very obviously related to him.

"Will!" she shouted, sprinting through the throngs of people to crash into her brother with an enormous hug. He picked her up and spun her around. She didn't let go when he put her down. "I missed you," she said finally.

"I missed you, too," Will told her. "I have a friend that I want you to meet."

Georgie let go immediately and turned around. "Elizabeth?" she asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "That's me."

The hug Georgie attacked her with was just as fierce as the one she had given Will. "If only my sisters were this affectionate," Elizabeth laughed, hugging the girl back. "Nice to meet you, too."

"I've heard so much about you!" Georgie said, then turned to her brother. "If you hurt her, I'm going to have to kill you. You realize that, right?"

"I think you'd be hard put to do it before I do myself in," Will said with a smile. He watched the two women he loved fall into an easy conversation about Georgie's school. It was more than he could ever hope for; his sister and girlfriend were going to be great friends. He slid his hand into his jacket pocket, fingering the velvet box held there. Soon enough, he was sure, they would be a proper family.


End file.
